


Time Thief

by KatzeBlue



Category: Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Bits and pieces taken from many Zelda games, Drama, Hero of Time, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 15:57:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7321486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatzeBlue/pseuds/KatzeBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hyrule and the Gerudo have been at war for centuries, causing Hyrule to slowly decline. Zelda finds herself in charge of a city bent on destruction. Link, a wanted thief on the streets, makes a living for himself alone. He finds Hyrule's despair infuriating, and makes it a personal mission to help. Soon, everyone finds out he is worth more to Hyrule than they could have dreamed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! As I try to get the hand of the Ao3 posting format, let me explain my story briefly-
> 
> I originally conjured the ideas for this story when I was 7 years old. I was sitting in the car, minding my own little business, listening to some music. I have always loved the Legend of Zelda, and now, over a decade later as I sit in my own apartment and go to college, I still hold the series close to y heart. I have had over a _decade_ to think of plots for this story, create characters that people will hopefully love, and make a story to the fullest of my abilities. I am no writing major (I am actually a Digital Art/Graphic Design major!), but this story is my life's work, these characters are my life's work, and I wish so desperately to share them with you.
> 
> This story ("Time Thief") is the first out of many books that I hope to write, all centered on the same characters as they grow from rowdy teenagers into adults and beyond, maturing at a rate and growing friendships that last a lifetime that I hope feel authentically real. I have done so much research on world building, character development, and plot devices. I have a passion for this story, and as as sappy as it may sound, it has changed my life for the better.
> 
> I want to share this story with you, and I hope, with my limited skills, that I can grow as a writer and try to convey the messages and meanings that I wish to as I take you along a very long journey. :)
> 
> Thank you!

# Prologue

-

_”Hello, little Princess.”_

Zelda felt an uneasiness overwhelm her. Centuries of war were behind them now, but perhaps peace could come about in this meeting.

A tall, burly red haired man stood before her, clad in heavy, dark armor. His face bore signs of age compared to her young, delicate features. Two great royals stood before one another, their advisors standing just behind them. Relations between the Gerudo and Hyrule had soured throughout the centuries, leaving war and bloodshed. _But perhaps_ , Zelda thought, _Hyrule and the Gerudo could come to an understanding._

“Lord Ganondorf. My father is not well, so I have elected to take his place in this meeting. I do hope you understand.”

The red haired Gerudo scoffed. “What makes the King of Hyrule think his seventeen year old daughter can carry out diplomatic solutions like this?”

Zelda attempted to push his degrading remark aside and tried to focus on the current situation. “Hyrule is requesting a truce. A treaty to end this unnecessary war effort that has plagued our kingdoms for centuries.”

Ganondorf’s eyes narrowed. Zelda attempted to keep a level composure, her gaze meeting his. It would take much persuading to get the King of the Gerudo to give up his quest for world domination, but her training as Hyrule’s Princess and diplomatic ambassador would not go to waste.

“Hyrule has come to a decision where we believe war is no longer necessary for our efforts. We have lost our line of Heroes, and we have yet to find another reborn. For the sake of the world, we request you sign this treaty to end this bloodshed,” Zelda took a parchment and a quill handed to her from one of her advisors,” and we will give you anything you please.”

The King of the Gerudo was silent for a few moments, pondering the Princess’ offer for a couple of minutes. Zelda stood, waiting impatiently for his answer.

“I want,” Ganondorf began, a devilish smirk forming on his face, “Hyrule.”

Zelda felt the air suddenly leave her, finding it hard to stand up straight. “Lord Ganondorf, I cannot…”

“You said _anything_ , dear Princess.” Ganondorf scoffed out accusingly.

“I cannot give-“

“You can either give your kingdom to me the proper way,” Ganondorf interrupted, “or I can take it by force.”

Zelda could no longer meet his gaze and instead let her head hang, clenching her fists tightly around the parchment that was meant to be a peaceful treaty.

“Your precious line of Heroes is gone!” Ganondorf spat. “I killed your previous Hero with my own blade. I saw his head topple to the floor beneath my feet. He asked for it. He begged to be killed. Is that how you treat your Heroes now? With disdain and hatred to the point he came to me begging to be killed? How pathetic, dear Princess. It is your kingdom’s fault that the next Hero in line has not been born. He will never be born, and your kingdom will never find the hope it needs without a Hero.

“It will be my kingdom. I will unify it with the nations of the Gerudo, and together we will have the most powerful kingdom in the world. Powerful enough to do anything it pleases. Powerful enough to take anything we desire. All you need,” Ganondorf paused, walking closer to Zelda as he spoke, “is to give me Hyrule.”

“Other people’s lands are not yours to take…” Zelda breathed lightly, stepping back. The advisors on each side of her followed in suit, gasps escaping their forms.

“The pathetic Gorons, the sickly Zoras, and the childish Kokiri are inferior races that deserve to be annihilated.” Ganondorf spoke the names of the other races with intense disgust.

“No…” Zelda breathed again, finding it harder to compose herself in a dignified way. Ganondorf frightened her immensely, and she felt the treaty in her trembling hands fall to the ground.

After a few more paces, Ganondorf stopped in front of the parchment and picked it up, examining it with little interest.

“Tell your father,” Ganondorf began, placing his hands on the top of the paper, “that this war is about to escalate to a level that Hyrule cannot match. My soldiers are ready, and your kingdom is crumbling. Your soldiers continuously desert you. You find traitors in your ranks almost every day. Your economy is crumbling, and your morale is low. Hyrule will be mine, and there will be no stopping me.”

With one swift movement, the Gerudo King tore the treaty in half, letting the torn paper fall to the ground before he turned to leave.

As Ganondorf and his advisors quickly left their site over the hills, the royal advisors quickly spouted countless random questions, their panic evident in their voices. However, Zelda did not hear a single thing they said.

She failed her kingdom, she failed her father, and she failed herself. She did not bring peace to Hyrule. Instead, she brought their ultimate destruction. How could she be so foolish?

The Hero of Time was gone, and he would not be reborn. As her thoughts raced, Zelda felt an immense feeling of guilt crush down on her, and before she could catch herself, her knees gave out underneath her. She toppled to the ground, falling on her hands and knees as her advisors quickly shot forward with worried cries. Soundless tears streamed down her cheeks.


	2. Chapter 1

# Chapter 1

-

Several pairs of feet clad in heavy boots trudged through the misty nighttime streets of Castle Town. The night was hot, but that didn’t deter the figures from wearing heavy brown cloaks varying from brown to black. Each hood held the hidden face of a young man, some younger than others, each with a cheery disposition. Some of the young men had bulging satchels filled with various amounts of goods.

“Mistress Velia will be very pleased with our group’s score tonight!” A cheerful young brown haired boy spoke up, struggling to carry the weight of his satchel.

“I’m sure,” an older boy laughed out, helping the younger with his satchel.

“I feel like I’m getting better at this every night!” Another young boy jumped up cheerfully, probably no more than twelve years old. “It feels nice to do something fun for once!”

Without realizing it, the boy’s voice echoed throughout the deserted alleyways. Almost immediately, the older boy at the head of their group halted and held out his hand in a gesture to the others to stop what they were doing. Everything was silent for a few moments before the older boy turned around, poofy blonde bangs swaying over his light blue eyes.

“Keep your voices down.”

One of the younger boys scoffed at the demand. “You’re not our dad.”

“Yes,” the older blonde boy agreed and then added, “but I am your superior.”

“Just because you’re nineteen doesn’t make you our boss! Mistress Velia is!”

Sighing in frustration, the blonde haired boy held and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Look, they way it works with these things is that Mistress Velia appoints a leader to a group of inexperienced younger people so they can teach you what you need to-“

“Nuh uh! We know all we need to know! We don’t need a babysitter at night!”

_I swear to everlasting Din-_

“Now hush,” a boy around the same age as the blonde piped up, “Sir Link is our leader for tonight, and tonight is almost over. You all have done well. Let’s just make it back to the inn unseen. Follow Sir Link until then, otherwise I will personally inform Mistress Velia of your disrespect.”

Almost immediately every young boy sealed their lips tight and stood attention, each holding their satchels filled with items ranging from food to silverware to gold statues. One young boy, probably no more than eight, was struggling to stand attention while holding it.

Link glanced at his defender, silently thanking him as he turned away from the group and started for the inn again. He knew these streets by heart now, living and working in them for so long. With his experience, his boss decided he would be a perfect candidate to teach the younger recruits in their business. Outwardly, Link agreed with little hesitation, knowing his compliance made his boss happy. Inwardly, however, he hated kids. Especially the ones who came in with their happy little faces and thought what they were doing was for fun rather than for Hyrule.

With his irritation building again, Link clenched his hands under his cloak.

“You do not seem to like what you are doing tonight,” the same boy who defended Link earlier spoke out from behind him, “I think you do an excellent job, though. There is a reason Mistress Velia likes you a lot. I hear you are a good thief.”

Link brushed off the compliment. “I’ve been doing this for most of my life. That’s why.”

“Well, you are a very good leader. I wouldn’t mind training under you again another night.”

“Yeah,” Link fought back a displeased tone, trying to make it not very evident that he disliked the company of other people, “maybe.”

Link made sure everyone was quiet after that as they silently made their way through the alleyways, ducking under and over litter and creates. Night watch guards stood post at almost every alley entrance, making Link’s life a heck of a lot harder as he tried to navigate the group away from their sight. The King had issued more guards to be stationed around Hyrule, mostly for the growing thievery and some for the fact the King was growing increasingly paranoid at the amount of Gerudo women rumored to be spotted around town.

As they drew closer to the inn, Link felt a tad bit of relief. A younger boy yelped out in glee, taking off for the entrance.

“Last one there has to pluck a feather from a cucco later!”

The rest of the young boys hurried after the other one, each bearing a different look of horror and excitement in the challenge. They dashed past Link, each funneling into the doorway of the inn and disappearing from his view. Link once again grabbed the bridge of his nose, pulling the hood of his cloak down before stepping into the candlelight of the inn.

At this time of night, the inn was busy with excitement and chatter. The inn seemed to be the hub of what his boss liked to call “the good people of Hyrule” but they were no more than a bunch of thieves stealing from those more fortunate and giving to those less.

“Hey there, hun!” A feminine voice called out from the side. Link looked over to see the innkeeper and his boss herself, Velia, standing behind the counter and serving a few men some drinks. She was a woman in her thirties, through hid her true age well with her busty, curvy features and wavy black hair. Her inn was always open to the vigilantes in town, though silently Link wondered if half of the older men who came into the inn came to look at a pretty woman and not actually help their cause. Though Velia knew their intentions well and used it to her advantage, racking up tips to use in the inn and more volunteers for their cause every day. Velia always kept her looks and sultry up to attract men, but she had no interest in any romantic relationships.

She looked over at Link as he approached the counter and gave a warm smile, waving her hand briefly before setting a drink down on the counter.

“Hey, Velia.” Link started as he undid the buckle holding his sword to his belt placed the weapon next to an unoccupied seat. “I see the inn is busier than usual.”

“There are just so many people, nowadays!” She feigned a dramatic look as she set a few drinks on the counter. “It is amazing the amount of people that want to help. I’m glad we’ve made at least a little bit of an impact on the people around town.”

Link sat down, mumbling quietly under his breath. “Yeah, well, I’m sure we make a better impact on the people than the Hylian Guard does.”

“Oh hun, the guards all must have sticks up their rears. Of course we make a better impact.”

Link was surprised Velia heard his muttered comment.

“I hope you had a good day out today. You’ve been so grumpy lately. I thought maybe teaching some boys could cheer you up.” Velia placed a small glass in front of him, offering a warm smile.

“You should know by now how much I don’t enjoy teaching other people these things, especially young boys. They treat it all like it’s nothing. I feel like I’m going to explode with irritation.”

“They’re little, hun,” Velia turned away to busy herself with something behind the counter. “I remember you were so little when you came here. In fact, you were not much better than those boys. Give them a little bit of a chance.”

“Uh huh. Hey, I noticed a few more pieces of paper stuck to the walls around the town. My face is still the most popular, but I saw a few new faces printed as well. I’d make sure you tell the others to make sure they are extra aware when they are out.”

Velia turned to Link with a mild concern on her face. “I remember seeing those wanted posters out of you, labeling you as a cold hearted criminal. Well, I mean, you are armed and dangerous, but I’d rather not have the face of one of my most successful thieves plastered on lots of wanted posters. There have been far too many arrests lately. Do you think we should tone down our efforts for safety?”

“I don’t know,” Link sipped his drink quietly, “I’m not the leader. That’s your job.”

Velia gave him a sideways glance as she filled another man’s glass and set it in front of him.

“Heya, Link boy!” A rough hand patted his back. “It’s later than normal. I was thinkin’ you were a gonner.”

Link turned around and faced a larger, burly black haired man in his thirties as well. He had his hands on his sides as he gazed down at Link with a smile.

“No Derek, I was not arrested, but it was close. I’m surprised Hylian guards pass as the actual police force for Castle Town anyway. They don’t do anything.”

Velia cut back into the conversation as she held a stein out for Derek, who took it happily with a nod of thanks. “They were decent before the Hero of Time died,” she signed, “It’s a shame such a decent police force went downhill so fast after the death of one man. I remember being a little girl and always looking up to them.”

“Awh, Velia, I’m sure being a little girl was ages ago, wasn’t it?” Derek teased with amusement. Velia gave him a look that was quite the opposite of amusement.

“There will be no more drinks for you this evening, dear Derek.” Velia huffed at him. He scoffed after she looked back at Link. “I do believe it will be best if we tone done our efforts for a few weeks, though. We can make the Hylian Guard believe we are dying out, and it will be much more beneficial to steal only a few things rather than have all of our organization members arrested.”

“It is not stealing,” Link defended, “it is the ‘reorganization of wealth in our cruddy town we call home’.”

“Call it whatever you want, hun.” Velia winked and then turned around as someone from the other side of the bar waved for her attention.

“Justified stealin’.” Derek pointed at Link. “I like the way you think.”

Link smiled briefly at his friend.

“But no joke, Link. I had a run in with the guards a few days ago. They seem to have increased the amount of men they have around town, and it is getting dangerous for everyone to do their jobs. Do you know why the guard has suddenly started walking all around Castle Town at every moment of the day?”

Link shifted in his seat to face Derek. “I think people are becoming more panicked as the Gerudo become more powerful and the Hero of Time isn’t reborn.”

“I honestly think he’s gone and no one should rely on a dead man anymore. It’s been years, man. He died when I was a baby, and that was a _long_ time ago. It’s never taken the Hero more than a few days, if not a week or two to be reborn. But it’s been a little over thirty years and there still is no Hero.”

“People are stubborn.” Link pointed out.

“Clingin’ on to hope that isn’t there.” Derek scoffed, taking a swig of his drink with an angered expression. Suddenly, his whole demeanor changed as a look of realization crossed his features. “Hey, we should do something about it.”

“We are.” Link replied with a confused tone.

“Nah, not like that.” Derek said as he waved his hand. “I mean, why don’t we start trying to give people a reason to hope?”

“Like what?”

“Like, uhm, we could do what the Hylian Guards don’t do and fight Gerudo off!”

Link furrowed his eyebrows. “Really? I’d like to see you face an army of Gerudo alone. Especially after a drink like that one in your hand.”

“We wouldn’t be alone,” Derek frowned, “and booze makes everything better.”

“I admire your determination, but you really think a band of thief vigilantes like us can stand up to the Gerudo? Besides,” Link gestured toward Velia, “half of them are here for free food and to talk to her. I surely don’t want people like that defending me.”

“Yer always so pessimistic, Link. You gotta look up with a little hope every now and again.”

“Hey,” Link responded threateningly, “I’m just being realistic. The Hylian Guard could be so much better. If I didn’t dislike them so much, I’d go volunteer to be a knight and then tell everyone how to do their damn job. It’s sad when a nineteen year old who doesn’t have a home knows more about military matters than the head of the Hylian Guard does.”

Derek shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows what His Majesty and the Princess do in their castle.”

“Hardly care about us regular people.” Link sneered quietly.

“You should try thinking a little more hopefully toward the future. We aren’t dead yet. That’s a plus. Be happy with that, man.”

With that, Derek turned and left while drinking from his glass. He walked over to talk to another guy who was probably much more enthusiastic about hope than Link was. Link frowned, finding nothing wrong with his realistic yet pessimistic attitude toward their situation. He believed Hyrule was probably doomed since the time they realized the Hero of Time wouldn’t be reincarnated, but he was more angered by the fact the King and the Princess had done little to help their kingdom. While Hyrule continued to go about their days with fear and panic hidden in their expressions, the King and the Princess did very little. The biggest thing they did was increase the amount of Hylian Guards guarding Castle Town, but that didn’t calm anyone much. It just made his life more difficult, especially when he tried to do his job at night.

Link angrily slammed his drink down with a loud thud, not even in the mood to finish it. He slid out of his seat in a hurry and snatched his sword, clenching his fists around it as he left without a word. Velia called to him, asking if he was alright, but stopped when she realized his mood. He remained silent as he walked briskly toward the stairs leading to the quieter second floor. A headache was the last thing he needed.

~+~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp- there's Link for ya. He's a bright spirited fellow right now, isn't he?
> 
> Thank you reading and reviewing! :)


	3. Chapter 2

# Chapter 2

-

Castle Town’s market was always busy around high noon as the crowds of people traveled from vendor to vendor, buying the goods they needed. Despite the crumbling economy, Hyrule still went about its normal business in the market, despite a lingering fear and sadness that followed the people.

Walking along with the crowds, a young woman with long brown hair and dark blue eyes blended in perfectly with the people around her. Just as any normal Hylian walking about, she stopped at a few vendors, buying simple foods and items. She went about her business, offering smiles to the many owners that greeted her.

As she entered a bakery, an old man piped up happily. “Oh my, the lovely young Blue Oscabellow has decided to come to my humble shop once again.”

“I may be young, but I wouldn’t say I am lovely, sir.” Blue flashed a light smile. “But I thank you for your compliment.”

The old man laughed as he traveled to a back room behind the counter. “Make sure you extend my greetings to your mother and brother as well. I assume you have come for your usual? Your mother seems very fond of my baking.”

Blue curiously leaned over to look into the doorway. “Yeah, well, that and she’s terrible at making bread so she just orders me to go buy some.”

Reappearing with a few loaves of wheat bread, he handed them over the counter with a smile. “I could offer her lessons, if she is willing.”

Taking the bread quickly, Blue snorted in amusement. “Oh, she’d claim she’s much too busy taking care of two children than to take baking lessons.”

“Ah, I’m sure her hands are full with your little brother, aren’t they?”

Blue shrugged, handing the old man a few rupees before bowing her head. “Yes they are. Forgive me, I can’t stay and chat. She’ll give me an hour long lecture about not being careful if I don’t arrive back home within the hour.”

After a brief farewell, Blue left the building and stepped back into the warming midday sun. It was late spring, with nearly perfect weather and crystal clear skies. Blue inwardly scowled, irritated by having to waste her time by helping her mother run basic chores. However, she had grown quite accustomed to it, her life becoming buisner after her father’s death.

Pushing that memory back swiftly before she upset herself, Blue made her way home, offering apologies to anyone she accidently stepped in front of or bumped in to. They gave her irritated and angered looks in response.

In Hyrule’s decline, the citizens had not only grown fearful and desperate, but they had also grown angered and impatient. Due to these circumstances, Blue tried her best to keep her head low.

Luckily, she didn’t mind keeping to herself. However, Blue grew more impatient every day as she watched Hyrule continue to decline. She wanted more than to help, but instead she was locked inside her home all day, confined to its tiny, claustrophobic rooms.

Silently she walked through town with muddled thoughts until she nearly tripped over the steps leading toward her house. She gasped, regaining her footing as she tightened her grip on the satchel she was carrying.

_Nayru dammit._

“Sister!”

Blue’s head snapped up at the sound of a young boy’s voice. At the top of the stairs her six year old brother Tye stood, face as happy as it could be. He practically jumped down the stairs, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“You’re back!”

Blue blinked, her previous frustrations fading away quickly with a smile. “I was only gone for a little bit.”

“Well, it still feels like forever. Oh, Jake came by looking for you! He said he promised to take me outside and go on adventures!”

“On adventures?”

Tye’s blue eyes shined brightly up at her. “Yes, he said we could go on adventures like heroes do!”

“Like heroes do?” Blue laughed down at him.

“Like heroes do.” A familiar masculine voice chuckled out behind them.

Blue turned around to see the source of the voice, but was quickly pushed aside as Tye practically threw himself off of her and to the man.

“Hey!” Jake grunted out in slight pain, stunned by the boy’s sudden attack. “Careful there, little buddy.”

“Jake! You’re late! Let’s go already!”

Blue laughed as Tye dangled from Jake’s limbs. Jake was a rather handsome Hylian, well built will black hair and green eyes. She was also thankful he kept a rambunctious Tye out of her hair, if only for a little bit.

“We’ll run around, and you can get me a sword, and we can shoot arrows, and we can pretend to save Hyrule!” Tye shouted, jumping backwards and raising a fist to the air. “We’ll be just like the Heroes of Time!”

Blue raised her eyebrows as she looped the satchel around Tye’s arm. “I don’t think mother would appreciate you going around being like the Heroes of Time.”

“But they’re the greatest! I can’t wait for the new one! I want to meet them!”

Blue glanced at Jake, noticing how he frowned for a moment before speaking up. “I think you should take that to your mother,” he gestured to the satchel, “that sounds like an adventure.”

Tye’s eyes widened with excitement before he flew up the house steps and into the building.

“I think your mother should look in to getting that boy something to calm him down.” Jake gave Blue a faked look of exhaustion, placing a hand on the back of his neck.

“He’s six.”

“Six and a half.”

She frowned. “Still six.”

Jake placed his arm around her shoulder. “Yeah. He’s a good boy.”

Blue pat his hand lightly while leading him up the steps. “Why did you drop by earlier? Tye told me about your promise, which I hope you intend to keep.”

“What, I can’t drop by to see a pretty lady?” Jake tightened his grip around her shoulders while laughing.

Blue felt momentarily flustered. “I was just wondering.”

“Jake!” She heard her mother shout as the two of them climbed up the last step. “Glad to see you again so soon! You were here just an hour ago.”

“Hello again, Evelyn.” Jake grinned as he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

Evelyn waited for them patiently in the doorstep, her stern face and dark blue eyes set on the couple. She was a woman in her forties with long brown hair and painted lips. Her voice always had a commanding tone, ready to protect her children at all costs. Blue knew she meant well, but being locked up almost every day and night wasn’t exactly very fun.

“Tye delivered what you bought. Thank you, Blue. Please, please, come inside. You are more than welcome, Jake. Our home is your home, anytime.”

Her mother had a liking for Jake, though Blue had a feeling Jake was seen as her future spouse. While he was nice and Blue didn’t mind too much, she wished her mother would stay out of every aspect of her personal life.

“Thank you.” Jake stated simply, following Evelyn inside. Blue attempted to keep in step behind him.

“Jake had some interesting news earlier, Blue. Has he told you?” Her mother looked at her with a knowing smile.

Blinking, Blue could feel a brief wave of anxiety bubbling. “No. What is it?”

“Don’t ruin it before I tell her.” Jake frowned at Evelyn.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“

“What is it?” Blue interrupted quickly.

The two of them paused to look at her curiously before turning towards each other. Taking the hint, Evelyn made her way out of the room.

“I found a place to work,” Jake began, “and a place I’d like to live at all to myself.”

The stamen made Blue’s heart life up. “You’ll be a knight?”

“Oh no, being a knight is far too dangerous, just like your mother said. But I do have a more important question: would you like to live with me?”

Anxiety rose again as her face flushed, her smile falling. Trying to avoid his sudden question, she looked away. “I- I thought you were going to be a knight?”

Jake scoffed. “Knights don’t do anything but put themselves in harm’s way for nothing.”

Underneath her embarrassment and anxiety, Blue felt her anger spark briefly. “No they don’t. You said you were going to sign up. What happened to that?”

Jake frowned, obviously displeased by her accusation. “I didn’t promise you I would. Besides, I think working away from the military would be better.”

“So we can be like everyone else in this Nayru forsaken city and sit on our butts doing nothing?” Blue sneered. “I was proud of you for suggesting joining the Hylian Knights.”

Jake folded his arms, leaning back onto his heels. “I thought you’d be happy about this. What has made you so angry all of a sudden?”

“I’m not angry,” Blue defended, “I’m disappointed.”

Jake raised an eyebrow, his arms tightening. “I don’t need your disappointment. You should be happy. Besides, you can’t tell me what I can and cannot do.”

“Why would I be happy?” Her voice started to rise. “You could be a knight and help make a difference!”

“Why is that so important to you?” Jake sighed, unfolding his hands. “I won’t end up like your father if I stay out of the military.”

Blue felt her muscles tense suddenly, casting Jake a cold, bitter glare. She didn’t need to say anything to convey her complete and utter annoyance at his comment.

“What?” Jake defended. “It’s true.”

Her anger prickling, Blue looked away from him. “That was entirely unnecessary.”

Jake shrugged. “Your mother agrees with me. She doesn’t want you anywhere near any Nayru forsaken military matters.”

“That is because my mother _adores_ you!” Blue shot out, her composer slipping.

Jake frowned, stepping forward and reaching out for her. “You’re making a big deal over absolutely nothing.”

“It is a big deal!” She shouted, her voice probably loud enough for her mother to hear. She back away from Jake’s grasp.

“Hey, calm down!” Jake managed to grab her wrists. “I think we should think about this logically. That way we don’t fight.”

Not wishing to discuss anything more, Blue ducked away from him and made her way out the door. Jake quickly took off after her, keeping his pace a few steps behind.

“You’re making a big deal over nothing! Trust me.”

“I am not making a big deal over nothing. If you won’t do anything to help this poor place of a town you call a home, then I will.” Blue spoke out bitterly as she continued walking, not even glancing over her shoulder.

“What, you’re going to apply for the Hylian Guard yourself? Do I have to remind you they don’t take any women into their ranks?”

“No.” Blue shot back coldly, continuing to keep her gaze away from him.

Jake’s voice suddenly conveyed annoyance. “What’re you gonna’ do? Just going to waltz up to the Knights and beg? You aren’t skilled in any weapon, for starters. Please, just stop and lets talk this out.”

“I’m swift, I can hold my own, and I’m clever. I’ll figure something out.”

“When have you ever had to ‘hold your own’ against anyone in your life under your mother’s supervision?”

Blue continued to ignore Jake’s comments, making her way briskly toward the center of Castle Town. She really didn’t have a destination and simply wanted to try to walk off her anger, yet Jake had apparently thought she was making her way toward the barracks on the opposite end of the city. She made her way quickly, trying to avoid the man behind her. His footsteps grew faster and before she knew it, he had seized her upper arm and pulled her into a side alley where he could have her full attention alone.

“You need to calm down and think rationally. Please?”

Blue pursed her lips, saying nothing as she attempted to wiggle her arm out of his grasp. She felt her annoyance grow since he easily overpowered her in strength and held her back.

“You aren’t going anywhere. In fact, why don’t we just go home? You’re so worked up that you probably aren’t thinking clearly. I’ll escort you home, alright?”

Blue managed to slip her slender arm from his grasp, but felt his heavy words sink in. Jake was always more rational than she was, and he was probably right.

“Besides, I’d rather not have you make a fool of yourself and have it subjected to gossip around town. It’ll make us all look bad.”

She scrunched her nose in disgust, sighing heavily as she accepted defeat. Jake reached out to grab her arm, but she quickly jerked back.

“Let’s just go. I’ll follow you.” She replied curtly.

Jake seemed to visibly relax at her defeat, a pleased smile on his face. She refused to look at him, however. She was still annoyed at his reluctance to help her do anything or his constant need to put her opinions down. She briefly wondered why she even had him in her life.

“Great. Let’s get back. I’ll let you think about my proposition from earlier a little while longer. I’m sure you can talk it over with your mother as well.” Jake said happily as he started to walk away. Blue kept a few paces back from him, trying to ignore the story he was telling about how he had landed the job offer in the market he had spoken about earlier. All she wanted was to be home and left alone right now, and it was an uninteresting story anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some OCs for ya! These OCs in particular are over a decade old in my mind, so uh, they have a lot of history to them! lol And a lot of development.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!


	4. Chapter 3

# Chapter 3

-

The next few days moved by slowly. Link found himself bored for about the umpteenth time that week, trying to lie low from the Guard. As Velia and the other thieves predicted, the Guard increased the amount of soldiers they stationed around the city. Anytime he attempted to leave the inn, Velia pulled him back in by his collar, scolding him like a mother. She always said he was much too valuable to the Thieves Guild to be caught. After a few failed attempts, Link decided it would be easier to obey his boss’s orders and just sit quietly in a corner with his feet on a table.

He attempted to busy himself with anything, whether it was simple conversation or playing the piano Velia had acquired for entertainment in the inn. It would easily help calm his frustrations to play any type of music, as people came by frequently complimenting him. He enjoyed music, but as the days went on, he found himself struggling to stay put. Velia had offered to tie him to the counter if that would make him feel better, but he wasn’t exactly in the mood for her jokes. Somehow she managed to convince Link to help her with the daily running of the inn, which calmed his frustrations and bit.

It was around noon on a workday when Link was helping Velia stack a few dishes behind the counter. He was only half listening to her ridiculous story about drunken, overconfident men. Currently, the inn was barren, an atmosphere that bored Link out of his mind. It wasn't like they could do anything else; Velia had to make the inn seem normal to the Hylian Guard. He was impatient for nightfall since the inn was always much busier at night, especially since it was the central base for the Guild. After all, night brought a sense of secrecy and safety. He absentmindedly wondered about tonight's plans before his thoughts were interrupted by the gentle ring of the front door opening.

Velia was always quick to react to customers and turned her head to greet them happily. Link barely had time to turn his own head before he felt Velia grab him roughly by the hair and shove him forcefully under the bar counter.

“Velia—!” 

She shushed him quickly, returning her attention to the guests. She had a pleasing smile plastered over her features as she leaned over the counter, her face disappearing from his view.

“Hello, good sirs! To what do I owe the pleasure of having some grand knights in my inn?” Velia’s cheerful voice rang.

“The King has ordered that we inspect each building for signs of criminal activity. Not only do we have thieves running rampant, but a few Gerudo women were spotted lurking around the outskirts of Castle Town. We aim to keep our town safe, madam.” A young man’s voice spoke out, followed by the clanking of some armor as they walked closer to the counter.

“Oh,” Velia sounded mildly surprised, “Gerudo near the town?”

“Concern yourself little with this matter, my lady, and please allow us to search the inn rooms, as well as this dining area, the cellar, and any other rooms you currently have.”

“Right, right,” Velia leaned back from the counter enough to where Link could see her face, “I’ll grab my keys and I will escort you upstairs. I need to unlock the rooms for you fine men.”

She opened a drawer under the countertop quietly, shifting so she could reach it while nudging Link with her boot during the process. Picking up on her hint, he nodded.

“All right, my lady,” the knight took the bait and Link heard the shuffle of armor, “thank you for your willingness to comply.”

Velia made her way around the counter, putting on a very believable act. She had always been a good actress. “Right this way, sirs. There are not a lot of people staying in the rooms currently so it’ll be easy to check them.”

Link waited patiently under the counter as he listened to Velia climb the steps to the second floor, followed by the rattle of at least three more guards following her. He was very uncomfortable hiding under the wooden counter, trying to make sure the guards couldn’t even hear him. When the rustle of armor had ended, he poked his head out of his hiding place.

There was no one in the room so Link quickly took the opportunity to bolt out of his hiding place and rush to the front door. Grabbing his small sword and attaching it to his belt, Link quickly gathered some belongings and pulled a cloak over his shoulders. Still trying to be cautious for fear of more guards, he checked for the gleam of more armor outside before he opened the door and fled. He made his way toward the restless crowd of Hylians to hide in plain sight.

 _Finally,_ he thought, _my chance to get out of this stuffy inn._

With a silent smile, he pulled the hood of his dark cloak over his head.

~*~

High noon again, and Blue found herself doing more family chores, trying to busy herself with anything to keep her nagging thoughts at bay. The last few days had been nothing but displeasing conversation with Jake, annoyed scolding from her mother, and constant annoyances from her little brother. She kept her head low, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

For a spring day, it was unusually hot. Hot days inevitably made the people irritable, which led to petty gossip. A few times that week she heard that Gerudo had been spotted around Castle Town, and the news sent some people into a panic. Hyrule’s forces were not ready for another battle with the Gerudo, and no one had heard anything important from the King or Princess on the matter. The royal family was simply locked away and soldiers were posted all around the city.

Some Knights had come to her family’s door, much to her surprise, and her mother was forced aside as the Hylian Knights inspected their home for any signs of criminal activity. Rumors went around claiming that certain families had been harboring Gerudo; all of which turned out to be false. At least, from what she knew.

Blue dragged her feet along the warm cobblestones of the market, buying daily supplies for her mother. She stopped at the appropriate stalls, feeling somewhat drained from her constant boredom. She didn’t bother with small talk and simply paid for the supplies and left.

As Blue continued on, completely unaware of her surroundings, she barely realized when someone approached her. Without thinking, Blue ran into the figure, jerking her head up suddenly and murmuring confused apologies as she backed away.

“I’m sorry—I didn’t mean—I wasn’t—“

“Hey!” A familiar feminine voice rang out in front of her. “I haven’t seen you in what feels like ages!”

Cheerful brown eyes peered at her through messy brown bangs and Blue felt relieved to see her good friend’s face.

“Ariza—”

“You don’t just plow into your friends. Your mother never taught you proper manners. Eugh.” Ariza feigned annoyance, crossing her arms with a smirk. Ariza was always one to tease and greatly enjoyed poking at her friends. She also preferred to be called Ari. “It’s also rude to become a hermit and ignore your friends for a few days. I thought you fell off the face of the planet!”

For once, Blue smiled and felt her spirit lift with Ari's remark. “I’m sorry. I had a busy and… eventful few days, I guess.”

“You guess? Huh,” Ari pursed her lips, inspecting her friend with mild frustration, “you could at least write a letter, or leave something on my doorstep. I don’t know.”

Blue rolled her eyes but was suddenly aware that they were standing in the middle of the market street. Cold, annoyed faces kept greeting them as people weaved around the two girls.

“Hey, let’s get over to the side. People are glaring at us.”

“Right, right!” Ari agreed quickly, grabbing her friend’s forearm and leading her through the crowd to the curb. “Though it’s not like we have a reputation to keep up or anything. Lots of people are irritable anyway. I guess hot days cause mood swings. Weird.”

Blue snorted in laughter.

“So what have you been up to?” Ari turned on her heels, arms crossing over her chest. “You aren’t normally this closed off from me. I won’t lie when I say I feel left out.”

Blue removed the satchel she was carrying and placed it next to her. “I’m sorry. Like I said, it’s been a busy few days. Jake came by to see me the other day and brought some… interesting news. Let’s just say the conversation didn’t exactly end well.”

“What?” Ari frowned, her arms tightening as she leaned forward. “What’d you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Blue defended, “it was just—I’d rather not talk about it. It was dumb of me to do what I did. I’ve already apologized for it.”

“Fine, fine,” Ari waved her hand dismissively, “well, my last few days have been boring as I’ll get out. This is the first day I actually have been out of the house. You were normally my savior from a life of monotony.”

“Sorry, I’ll remember to be your savior more often from now on.” Blue vowed rather amusingly.

Ari smiled and started to say something, but shut her mouth quickly. Blue watched curiously as her friend’s eyes left hers and focused on something in the alley behind them. Suddenly alarmed, Blue glanced over her shoulder.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, no, I-” Ari began, obviously flustered for a moment before she pointed down the alley, “I just… did you see anything?”

With a shrug, Blue stated, “Well, it’s an alley. People walk in them every day.”

Ari raised an eyebrow, casting her friend a pointed look.

After a moment of silence, Ari spoke again, her normally cheery demeanor faded from her voice as she placed a hand on her hip. “Have you heard the rumors going around about Gerudo? Have you seen them?”

“I heard they’re just rumors. People like to start tales to make interesting gossip. Though it seems like the Hylian Guard has taken the rumors seriously. They pretty much pushed my mother out of the way and stormed out house looking for fugitives. It took a while to calm Tye down from all of the commotion.”

“They stormed into my place too, spouting out threats like how they were going to arrest everyone in the house if they found a single trace of a thief or a Gerudo.”

“The thieves are no better than the Gerudo.” Blue scoffed. “I hear some of them claim they are helping the town, but they are just causing more of a fuss.”

“Yeah,” Ari nodded in agreement, “though I saw a cloaked figure sneaking around the alley before it noticed my look and fled. Maybe we should… investigate?”

“What?” Blue sputtered in surprise, although she felt a hint of excitement. “We go investigating? What would people think if they saw two teenage girls wandering around an alley all alone?”

“Well, it sounds like more fun than sitting here doing nothing.” Ari piped up, her cheerful tone returning with a hint of excitement. “You always say you want to at least do something for Hyrule. Well, let's do something.”

“Well I, uhm, I guess I do but do we really—”

“You’re faster than me. I’ll cover your back. If something goes wrong, I’ll grab a guard.” Ari clapped her friend’s shoulder. “If it is something suspicious and we report it, you can at least say you did something good for Hyrule.”

Giving Ari a hesitant glance, Blue picked up her satchel and threw it over her shoulder before she started off down the alley with light footsteps, maneuvering over discarded crates and garbage. Ari was not far behind, keeping an eye behind them and ready to bolt at any minute.

Feeling a tad stupid for thinking this was even remotely safe, Blue sucked in her breath as she looked at her friend behind her, “this seems stupid.”

“Don’t quit on me now!” Ari shot back quietly. “Keep going. Where is your sense of adventure?”

Reaching the corner, she pressed herself to the wall as tight as she could and peered around the corner. Much to her surprise, the figure was still there, crouched low to the ground in hiding and covered in a thick dark hood. It was already hot, it must have been sweltering under the cloak, yet if the figure was Gerudo it was probably no issue. Gerudo were used to the heat in their desert.

She studied the figure for a second longer, seeing the tip of a small sword poking out from under the cloak that dragged on the ground. Blue didn’t have time to make out anything else before the figure turned around, as if it sensed her gaze. She imitated the action, hiding behind the wall away from the figure’s sight.

Blue glanced down the alley to see Ari a few paces away, eagerness in her eyes as she awaited any type of answer. Blue nodded quickly, despite the pit that began to form in her gut. She began to silently make her way over to Ari, causing her friend’s eyes to widen. Taking it as a sign, Ari turned and bolted down the alley in search of a guard.

Blue attempted to follow her friend but was cut short by a hand grabbing the back of her shirt collar, jerking her roughly to a halt and causing her to stumble backwards.

“Now what’re _you_ up to?” A lower voice spoke out behind her.

Oh no. Oh Din.

Feeling a larger hand sneak its way around her collar, the cloaked figure grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her around violently. She felt her stomach drop and her heart leap in her throat, instantly cursing herself for letting her curiosity and stubbornness get her into this situation.

She came face to face with the hooded figure, surprised to see a piercing gaze staring back at her and not the slanted eyes of a Gerudo. In fact, the person in front of her had no Gerudo features at all, aside from a big nose. The cloaked figure was a man, a young one in fact, and he had thick blonde bangs hanging over his pointed, angular eyes and face. She could also see the faint outline of long pointed ears sticking out from behind his hair, alerting her instantly that he was indeed Hylian.

“Don’t think I didn’t catch you spying on me.” He sneered out in a low voice, interrupting her thoughts. His grip on her collar tightened.

With words caught in her throat, a simple “uhh” was all that came out.

“Uhh?” He mimicked.

“I just—I didn’t—”

“ _Why_ are you here?” He asked, pulling her face closer.

“You’re not… Gerudo…” Blue answered dumbly, finding that the only thought she could coherently form.

The young man looked at her incredulously, although anger was still very apparent on his face. His grip on her collar only tightened again in a death grip. “What?”

“We saw you from the other end of the alley. We thought you may have been Gerudo. Or a—” Blue felt her entire body jolt with a sudden realization.

The blonde man huffed, obviously displeased with her inability to complete sentences. “A…?”

“A—a thief…”

_Where have I seen his face before?_

“If you know what is best for you, I suggest you leave me be and go about your own business.” He threatened. “Leave.”

He forcefully pushed her away, letting go of her collar. As she stumbled backwards, Blue’s hands reached for her neck, rubbing where the fabric had dug into her skin. The hooded figure shot her one last leveled glare, and Blue felt her fear building.

_Ariza —the guards—they’re coming. He will know we turned him in!_

As if on cue, a gruff “Halt!” echoed through the alley walls. Blue stiffened as the hooded figure jumped in surprise, suddenly alert and ready to dart.

“We received information about suspicious activity in the area!”

The young man in the cloak quickly turned around to dash off, only to find more guards approaching from all directions, surrounding them.

As Blue’s fear continued to deepen, she quickly turned away to bolt from the thief.

“Nayru dammit! What is this? Are you here to collect a bounty?” The thief’s shout echoed throughout the alley.

A large hand surged forward and grabbed the back of Blue’s collar before she could flee. In surprise, she stuttered, “T-They’re just guards—I don’t know anything about any bounty, I swear I—”

The young man threw her down roughly, catching Blue by complete surprise as she was hurled down face first. Sputtering and grunting as she hit the stone street, she quickly turned over to stare at the thief and the approaching guards, realizing with another bolt of fear that Ariza was not among them.

_Where did she go?!_

“Remove your hood!” A guard bellowed, paying no attention to Blue as she looked up from her spot on the ground.

The thief cursed under his breath, loud enough for Blue to hear.

The gleam of silver armor surrounded them as the knights approached. Blue scrambled to her feet, gasping suddenly when two heavily clad guards came and restrained her.

Two guards attempted to do the same thing with the thief, who was much more violent than Blue was. More than two guards came up to retrain him.

“When did the King allow his Guard to assault people like this?” The young man snarled out as he jerked around, his face twitching in disgust.

“Quiet.” An older guard bellowed out, raising an armor clad hand to strike the thief in order to shut him up. Grabbing the hood of his cloak, the knight yanked the cloth back violently enough to rip it. Long, puffy blonde hair fell around the thief’s face, tied back in an unkempt and wild ponytail.

“Why, look at what we have here! We not only have our hands on Link, one of the most notorious wanted thieves on the streets, but we have one of his accomplices as well!”

 _Link. That’s how I know his face! It’s been plastered all around the city on wanted posters. I should have—_ Blue’s thoughts halted when she realized the entirety of what the guard said.

“Accomplice?!” She shouted, trying to pull herself away from the guard’s restraints. “Wait, you are mistaken. I don’t even know him!”

A younger guard laughed out, clamping shackles onto Link’s wrists while talking. “Thank the goddesses. I cannot wait to tell the General that we have arrested Link and another thief. He will be thrilled. Won’t he?”

“You’ve been a thorn in our sides for far too long, boy.” The older guard restrained LInk’s hands with a pair of heavy shackles and pulled him up tauntingly. “You won’t elude us anymore, now will you?”

Another guard held out more shackles and clamped them to Blue’s own wrists. They were cold and compressed down painfully. Mustering up any courage she had left, Blue looked up at Link’s face.

She was met with a glare she had never seen before. It was cold and filled with contempt. He refused to say another word to anyone. It wasn’t until a guard took his forearm and pulled him roughly forward did he stop glaring at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh spaghettio- wait- that was corny. Let me try that again.
> 
> Ya dun' fucked up, Blue. Way to go.
> 
> As always, thank you or reading and reviewing!


End file.
